The 3 month countdown has
finally arrived! I know that in the blink of an eye I’ll finally be finished
with my 26 month-long service in hospitable country of Burkina Faso.
Since my last post not much
has happened in village. In fact, it could be the slowest time yet that I’ve
experienced. I’ve taken this time to relax and recharge while chilling with my
neighbors and reading copious amounts of books and (shocking) news.
For two weeks in November I had a fun adventure
to break the monotonous rhythm of village life. First I took my final
in-country vacation to the luscious south-western part of the country.
Juxtaposed from the north that’s riddled with vast deserts and skeleton trees,
the south-west resembles a lush Eden-like landscape filled with sugar-cane
fields and mango trees. My buddies and I visited three famous attractions: the
Banfora Waterfalls, Domes of Fabedougou and the Sindou Peaks. All of them were
absolutely gorgeous.
The Banfora Falls. After our short hike up we spent a few hours chilling on the rocks and swimming in the refreshing water.
The Domes of Fabedougou. Their unique formation comes from a long time ago when the ocean was covering this part of Burkina.
Following
this south-western adventure was our Close of Service (COS) conference, or the
final milestone for us PCVs. This was the last major Peace Corps gathering
before the volunteers of Group 31 (only 25 remaining of the initial 42 who
arrived January 2015) all part ways in early 2017. For this final conference
the Peace Corps pulled out all of the stops, so we ate amazing food while
lodging at a luxury hotel (with AC and a pristine pool) while we learned how to
prepare for the next steps after our Peace Corps service is completed.
All 25 remaining PCVs from Group 31 at our pinning ceremony
The Boys (with the cool guys sporting man-buns on the far right)
COS Conference is, among other
things, a chance for us to reflect on the previous 22 months in country. I’ve
realized how much we’ve been through. Obviously making the move into a rural
African village was a huge change for me, but add on top of that a coup d’état
and terrorist attack and sometimes I wonder how I’m still here. There were
great times when work was running smoothly and I was gelling with my community.
Other times, not so much. The most prized things that I’ll take away from this
experience are the unique relations that I’ve made with my fellow volunteers.
Going through this roller-coaster journey would not have been feasible without
all of their support. Our diverse group of PCVs, who at a moment’s notice were
just a phone-call or bike-ride away, enabled all of us to endure the numerous
hardships and stressors that come from this job.
It’s going to be gut-wrenching
to say goodbye to everyone. The next chapter, however, excites me and I can’t
wait to bond over our experiences once we’re together in the US.
Until next time,
